Loading apparatus



E. C. MORGAN LOADING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 15. 1923 2 sheets-sheet ,1

015,25 aux GMoryan ATTORNEYS E. c. MQRGAN LOADING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 13. 1923 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Sept. il', 1925.

` g UNITED is .TArE-s EDMUND o. MORGAN, nEoEAsED, LATEy 0E NEW YORK, N. Y.;BY oLIvE EUGENIE ,ifroEcArLy EXEGUTEIX, or NEW YOEILN. Y.

vPaTENT.` OFFICE.

' LOADING APPARATUS.

. Application filed August 13,1923. Serial No. 656,989.

To all whom t may concern-f y Be .it known `that vEmjrurni C. llVORG-AN, late a citizen' o fggthe `United States, de ceased (as byxreferencetothe duly .certified copy of lettjers testamentarywill more f-ully appear), had invented., a new and useful 'Improvement in -Loading Apparatus, on which United States LettersgPatent. isjhereby being applied for by theexecutrix of the last Willi and/'testament of the s aid ED- MUND C. MoRGAmdeceased, 'and the following `isa speciiicationfof said improvement.- f x The present invention relates'zto loading apparatus; and is particularly adapted for usek in` .connection with automatic coalminfing and loading apparatus, although it'. may ,have wa general application. ,f 'One o f the objectsof vthe present invention is the provision of improved yand eicient mechanism for tilting a^mine-car truck to facilitate the .loading-off material into the elevatedY end-thereof,

`Other lobjects of the invention Willappear hereinafter, the novel features-and Combinations being set `forthin the appended claims. t g i In the accompanyingdrawings, vFigs-lg; is an elevation -of a mine car with :the present invent-ion` applied thereto; y Fig. -2 isa plan .view fof the structure shown in' Fig.y l; t Fig. 3 is an elevational view of they mechanism shown in Fig.,v l, butwith-theforward endv of y the mine vcar in elevated position;

Fig. ,4e` is an end `elevation offthe miney car illustrating the addition of a superposed containergfand f Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation ofthe elevating Vmechanism applied to `the structure shown in F ig..4.

Referring to Fig. 1, it vwill beseen thatthe truck-frameA 6 is mounted on wheels 7 which are adapted to travel on `a mine track 8.

loodyt)r provided with vertical longitudinal spaced-apart walls lO and the, reartrans- Verse end Wall 12. By means of the usual coupling-1 3 the mine car may be connected to others or toa locomotive. Y

As .shown in Fig` 2, the truck is mounted on fourwheels each of which has a vbrake shoe 14 applied'thereto. At the-sides of the truck-frame lever mechanism, illustrated at 15 and 16in Fig. 2,mayv be used forreforward endofthe mine track.

not always be practicable toadd sections to' cillate ona horizontal axis.

leasing and applying the brake shoes to the wheels 7. To the lever mechanism 15 isvconnect-ed a rockfshaft 17 and in a similar manner to the'lever mechanism 16 is conected a rock shaft 18. Bell crank levers 19 and 20 are"respectively connected to the rock shafts v17 and 18 and to lthe lever mechanisms 15.*and 16. The bell crank levers 19 and l2O are extended rearwardly, as shown in, Fig., 21 and their ends ,are connccted by the operating cross-piece 21. By means of a latch device 22 at the rear central portion of the mine car, vback of the wall, 12,.,the `cross-piece 214 may b'e held in elevatedposition, so as tohold the .brake .shoes 14 releasedfrornthe wheels `7.

. -In Vthe operation of combined mining and loadingV` machinesit wouldbe desirable to lay the track S'up to a position near vthe minewall, 'leavingjonly sufficient room intervening for the proper operation of the mining and lloading machine. As the min- ,ingy and Vloading,proceeds the machine is moved forward, step-by-step, beyond the It would theforwa-rd end of the mine Vtrack until after the mining and loading machine had reached a position considerably in advance of the forward end of theminetrack. It is, therefore, desirable' tok maintain continual communication between the delivery ,end of the mining and'loading machine, and

the receiving end of the `mine car. 'Provision-is therefore made, as shownv in the accoinpanyingdrawings, for Alifting the forwardv wheels ofthe' truck andY relying upon the reanwheels to direct the truck along `the forward end v'of themine tra-ck, while the forward portion of the mine car is ext-ended considerably beyond the forward end of the -mine track while being supported in -posirtion yto readily `moved Vback on to the n fmine trackf when the,` mine car is loaded. Mounted on the truck-frame 6 1s the `car Vand loading machine is representedat 23.

@Mounted on this frame 28 is an operating lever 24 pivoted at 25 so as to move or os- The lever 24 is Vprovided with alower arm 26 which has va slot2z7 for-receiving `the pin 28 on kthe arm 29. ofa bell crank lever pivoted at 30. Itjshould b 'e noted that therev may be two rock shafts 275 and .30 immediately above one another, or spaced apart as shown.. in Fig. 1. The plan view in Fig: 2" shows the upper rock shaft 25 which carries the-spaced 1 apart leversl 3.1` and 32.- These levers a-reare laterally extending rods or pins 33- and 34. Engaging these pins. are laLtchf levers 35` and i 36, respectively. These levers 3'5 and 36 are, respectively piv.- oted" at their lowerr ends, as illustrated at 37 in' Fig; 1, to lateral'l arms 38 and 39v which are pivoted, as' illustrated1 at 40v in Fig; 1, to thel sides offthefcar body, spaced back from the forward end of the car and near the-.front wheels, but infront thereof. i

The arms 38 and39.arefconnected:y at their forward ends bythe cross-#piece-41`1wliich', at its'center, carries` the coupling mechanism comprising the `spaced-apartL jaws '42, 42 "and the coupling pin 43. As shown at44'in Fig.

2, the slot between the jaws 42 isY of sufficient width to receive the ends ofthe arms: 45 and.y 46, which are connected rigidly with the arm 29'V pivoted at, 30 directly below the shaft 25.

The cross-piece 41 also carries the door 47 for, the forwardend' of the car body. l/Vhen the parts are inthe position shown `in Fig. 1 the door 47 'is closed'and'held closed by the latches 3'5"a-nd236 engaging the pins 33 and 34. The latches 35 and" 36v are. yieldable rearwardly, since eacliisprovided, as shownV in Fig. 1, with a pin 48' which engages a spring 49lin a holder A50" attached to the arm 38. A similar spring-pressed or yielding device is shown at the other side of the car body at 52, Fig. 2.

The latches 35 and 36" are also `provided with laterally extending webs 5'3" and 54 in position to be engaged by the rear ends of the levers 31 and 32, as shown in Fig. 2. Assuming the mining and loading-'machine to be located in advance of the mine track 8, so that the frame extension 23 occupies the position shown in Fig. 1, the mine car may be moved to thepositionshown in Fi 1 where the door 4 7; still 'remains close. The momentum of the car maybe relied upon to move the pins 33' and 34 into 4the arcuate recesses between the jaws` at the rear end of the levers 31r and 32;` or, when the oar reaches theposition shown ingFig. 1, the Ylever 24' may be moved forward sufficiently to move the aw of'lever 31l and the j aw 56 of lever-32 under the pins-33and 34, respectively; When the jaw-s 55 andi 56 are moved under the pinsv 33 and 34' they respectively engage thewebs 53 andl 54 to release the latches 35 and 36 againstthe action of theA resilientA or yieldingdevices 51 and 52. After the jaws 55 and 56 have released'the latches 35 and 36 and moved under'thepins 33 and 34 the lever 24may be pushed Yforward to cause the arms 31 and 32 toy lift the forwardv end of the truck. so thatthe forward wheels 7 will be disconnected entirely from the mine track, whereupon the truck will be supported by the rear wheels and by the arms 31 and 32 mounted ony the frame 23. Therefore, as the mining and loading machine is moved forward step-by-step, together with the framel23, the mine car may be moved so that therear wheels will move to a position close to thel extreme forward end of the track before any additional'section need be added `to the mine car.

At thesa-me time that the forward end ofthe truck is elevated to the position shown in Fi'g. 3 the spaced-apart arms 45 and 46 openv the door 47 by reason of being extendedinto-the slot 44 between thecoupling jaws 42, 42'. The. door 47 is Vthus moved down positively because when the lever 24 is moved forward the pin and slot connection at 28 will rock the shaft 30 'to move the a-rms145 and 46down. So long as the forward end of the minecar is held elevated the door 47 is held down in open position. Therefore, the delivering conveyor of the miningvand loading machine may be directed into-tlevforward vopen end ofthe mine car andas the coal is delivered 'to this mine car its movementl toward the rear end thereof is-facilitated-bylreason of the tilting'of the minecar.

When the latches 35 and 36 arereleased they engage stops in front of them on the arms38 and 39. This is illustrated at 57 in Figs. 1 and 3. These stops hold the latches 35 and 36-inposition to permit their upper forwardinclined faces toengage the pins 33 and 34 when the frame 23 is moved back toward the mine track sufficiently to permit the forward wheels to re-engage the mine track. When the forward end of the mine caris let down by rearward movement of`v the` lever 24, by power mechanism or otherwise, the arms 45 and 46 will act automatically to positively lift the door 47 into position to close the forward end of the mine car. Then as the mine car, which has been loaded, is hauled away the pins 33 and 34l will ride out of the jaws 55 and 56 and as soon as this occurs the latches 35 and 36 will-snap into place over the `pins 33 and 34 to hold the door 47 in closed position. It will thus be seen that by means of a single lever 24 theVV forward end of the mine car may be lifted and lowered and simultaneously the door 47 may be operated so as to move to open position when the forward end ofi the car iselevated and so as to move -to closed' position when the forward end of the mine Canis lowered to the minel track level. The brake` mechanism may be i end of the mine car has .been elevated the operated and released vwhenever desired. y. For-instance, after the mine. car has been moved forward sufficiently to cause-the pins V33" and 34 tov rest in the .arcuate recesses 'of the jaws 55 and 56, the brakes may be appliedand held applied while the forward end ofthe mine car is being elevated and the door 47 opened. But after the forward brakes may be released when the mining and loading machine is yto be moved forward another step so that the jaws 55 and 56 will' exert a'pull on the mine carfatthe pins 83 and 34 to move the mine car forward to anotherposition, after which the brakes may again be applied. 'If desired, the brakes may also be held applied by the weight of the levers 19 and 20 and the cross-piece 2l while the forward end of the car is being lowered to the position shown in Fig. l.

In the operation of mining and loading Y machines in'coal mining, bands of foreign material may be encountered in which event it would Vbe desirable :to load 'the foreign 2 materialseparately from the coal. The mine car may 'befprovidedwith an upper com- Y partmentS for this'fpurpose, this compartment being attached, as shown at 59in Figs. 4 and 5,.on top of the lower kcompartment 9, but entirely separatedl therefrom4 by being provided withthetbott'om 3V shown in Fig. 5.` -The upperr edge of the'door 47 mayl be providedwith hinged members 60 and 6l to 1 receivev the hinged members 62 and I63l on the bottom Aof thek door` (S4-'which is adapted Vto y itbetween the vwings74, l74", Aas" shown in. Fig. 4. A'lever '65' may rotate a'disc 66 pivoted to thedoor 64 and connected to y andlocked.

kmay be released bythe lever 65 and swung rods 67 and 6 8 which slide through brackets 69 and 70 in position to fitinto perforated lugs 71 and 72.y Injthis manner'thedoor 64 to open position ony its hinges. After the upper compartment Vhas .been loaded with foreign material.v the door'-` 64 maybe closed It should be particularly noted that the use yof the uppercompartment for foreign' material will notinterfere with thedo'oroperating mechanism for the lower ycompart- .mentl The door .A64 may y.be swung forwardi lyon hinge 60, shownin Fig. 3, whereupon the forward end :of the'mine car,-including both compartmentamay be tilted upwardly,- while the doors 47 and 64 .occupy the positions shown in Fig. 5. `vAfter this has been 'done .the coal maybe loaded into the lower `compartment and the foreign materialinto the upper compartment. It will also be seen that the two compartments maybe employed for receiving blocks of coal of different sizes.

For instance, the large blocks of vcoalmay be directed into the lower-compartmentand cuttings yand slack directed'into'tlie upper compartment.Y` 'i an embodiment of the invention,-what is desired to be secured by Letters United States is:

`1. In loading apparatus, the combination with a mine car adapted to travel on a mine Patent of the track, of aV door for one end of said car,

spaced-apart arms carrying said door and pivotally connected to` the mine car rearwardly of its front end, and releasable latch mechanism for holding the door in its upper closed position.

y2. In loading apparatus, the combination with a mine car, of an upright door for one end thereof, means for supporting said door onv pivots rearwardly ofthe front end of said car, and means for operating' said door by swinging Athe samedownwardly on saidj pivots to leave the space above the adjacent end of the car free and unobstructed.I

3. In loading apparatus, the combination witli'a minev car, of adoor for one end thereof, a pair of spaced-apart arms for car-i.

rying said door and pivoted to the sides of Vthe car to permit said door to swing downto open position, pins extending laterally'rfrom thedo'or end of the car, and apair of automatic spring-pressed latches adapted to cooperate with said pins for holding said door initsupper closedposition.'

4. Inloading apparatus, the combination with Ya mine car, of-an upright door at one end thereof,`means for carrying said door, mechanism for holding said'door in close position, and meanson said holding mechavnisin adapted to receive pressurefor releas- 4ing such` holding mechanism to permit the door Vto open downwardly gravity` 5. In loading apparatus, the combination withfa'vmine car having a door atk one end thereof, of mechanism for supporting and holding said door closed in upright position, and means adapted to engage the holding mechanism to release the said door and move the samel downto open position. l

6. In loading apparatus, the combination with a mine car having a door at one end thereof, mechanism for supporting said door lto swing down to open position, and means for elevating one end of said car into position to .receive material and operating said supporting mechanism to swing the door down to` open position.

f 'i'. In loading apparatus, the combination -with a mine car having a door at one end thereof, means for supporting said kdoor for iovenient to open and closed positions, rand y mechanism adapted to tilt yupwardly the vand mechanism for simultaneously opening said door and tilting the mine ear into position for receiving material thereiiito.

9. In loading apparatus, the combination with a mine car, of a door at one end thereof, means for supporting said door for movement to open and closed positions, and interconnecting levers operable from a single source of power to positively elevate the door end of the car and to positively move said 'supportinomeans to effect the opening of n said door.

10. In loading apparatus, the combination with a mine car, of a door at one end thereof, means for supporting said door to swing to open and closed positions, a cross-piece connected to said door and having` a horizontal slot therein, and means adapted to extend into said slot to positively swing Y said supporting means to open and close the said door.

11. In loading apparatus,tlie combination with a mine car, of a door at one end thereof, a cross-piece connected to said door, a coupler mounted on said cross-piece `and 'havino saaced-a aart aws a' Jair of armsV e j l a pivo'ed rearwardly at the front end of the car and carrying said door, said cross-piece' and said coupler,l and mechanism adapted to j project into said coupler between the jaws thereof to open or close said door.

12. In loadingapparatus, the combinationv with a. mine car, of a door therefor, latch mechanism for holding said door in closed position and comprising a latch-pin on the car, and mechanism for engaging the latch-y ain, after releasing the latch mechanism, to elevate one end of the car and to permit said door to open. Y

13. Inlo'ading a'pparatus,`^the Combination with a n'iine car, of a door for one end' thereof, a pair of spaced-apart supporting arms for carrying said door, said arms being pivoted to the car rearwardly of the front` end thereof, a pair of spring-pressed latch 'devices comprising pivoted levers and lateral extensions from the car, and means forr engaging the latch levers to release the same and also engage said lateral extensions to tilt the mine car.

` in closed position and comprising` pins eX- Vus tending from the car, and means for releasing said holding mechanism and engaging 'said pins to tilt upwardly the door end of the mine car.

15. In loading-apparatus, the combination with a mine car, of a. door therefor, means for supporting said door for movement to open and closed positions, and mechanism for simultaneously tilting upwardly the Vdoor-end of said car and opening said door.

16. In loading apparatus, the combination with a mine car, of a door` connected the-reto for swinging' movement up and down to open and closed positions, and mechanism operating to either tilt the car upwardly and simultaneously open the door or to tilt the car downwardly and simultaneously close the door.

17. In loading apparatus, the combination:y

18. In loading apparatus, the combination` with a support, of means mounted thereon in position to be engaged by a mine car so that the latter may be vtilted. upwardly, and door-operating mechanism -associated with said tilting means.

19. In loadin@a apparatus, the combination with a support, of means mounted thereon for tilting one end of a car upwardly into positionv for receiving material thereinto,

and door-operating vmechanism' associated""" with said tilting means.

20. In loading apparatus, the combination with a support, of a rock-shaft mounted on said support, a pair of spaced-apart arms having jaws adapted to receive extensions"105 from a mine car, a depending arm `rigidly connected to said rock-shaft, an additional rock-shaft, `bell-crank lever secured to said additional rock-shaft in position to engage a door of a mine car to open such door, a pin-f and-slot connection between said dependingarm and said bell-crank lever, and means for rotating said roel-:shafts to operate said arms and said levers.

21. In loading apparatus, the combination' with a support, of a pair of spaced-apart arms pivoted to said support, a depending arm connected to said spaced-apart arm to move therewith, a bell-crank lever pivotally connected to saidsupport, an operating connection between said depending arm and said 'bell-cranl'lever, jaws at the outer ends of said spaced-apart arms in position to rcceive extensions from a mine car, andan operating lever for swinging upwardly sait! spaced-apart arms when said jaws engage such extensions to tilt upwardly the mine car. while said bell-cranlrlever engages a door'of the mine car to open such door.

22. In loading apparatus, the combination with a support, of a system of bellcrank levers mounted on said support comprising car-elevating arms-and door-aperating means, a minek car having a doorat one end, means comprising latch-levers and pins for holding the door closed, extensions on said latch levers in position to be engaged by said car-elevating arms to release the levers and 'cause said car-elevating-arms to engage said pins, and means on said door channel closed at one .endrand open at the other end, of a door for fthe open' end, and mechanism for tilting upwardly thc open end of the car and also opening said door to place the ininecarin position to receive coal from the mining and loading machine.

24. In loading apparatus, the combination with a mine car having` superposed separate longitudinal channels, a double folding door for the forward end of the car` manually operated mechanism for releasing the upper door, and means for tilting both channels upwardly while opening the folded door.' y

25. In loading apparatus, the combination with a mine car adapted to travel on a mine track, of a portable supportingl :trame vin advance of the mine track, and means for tilting the car and maintaining thesanie connected to said support.

26. In loading apparatus, the combination with a support, of a rock shaft mounted thereon, a pair of spaced arms secured to said rock shaft` and extending rearwardly from said support, a pair of receiving aws one on each of said arms' in position to engage lavteral projections on a minev car, and means for operating said rock shaft to lift said arms to elevate the carto facilitate loading material thereinto.

27; In loading apparatus, the combination with a support, of elevating mechanism mounted thereon and adapted to be connected to a mine car, and means for operating said elevating mechanism to elevate one end of a mine car to facilitate loading nia-v terial thereinto Y e e 28. In loading apparatus, the combination with a support adapted t0 be located in advance of a mine track, of supporting and hauling mechanism mounted on said support and adapted to be connected to a mine car traveling on such mine track, and means orvoperating said supporting and hauling mechanism to connect the sameto a mine car and maintain such connection while the said support is advanced and the mine car extends beyond the forward end of the mine track. y l

29. In loading apparatus, the combination with a mine car adapted to travel in advance Yof a mine track, of a frame of a loading machine in advance of the mine track, sup'- porting and hauling mechanism between said frame and the adjacent end of the inine car, and means :tor operating said supporting and hauling mechanism to connect said frame to said mine car in a predetermined relation and maintaining such relation as the loading machine advances and the mine car moves partially beyond the forward end of said mine rtrack.

30. In loading apparatus, the combination with a mine car adapted to travel on a mine track, of a frame of a loading niachine adapted to be moved in advance ofsaid mine track, supporting, hauling and elevating mechanism between said frame and one endof said inine car, andmeans tor operating said mechanism to elevate said end of the mine car and support the saine for haulage with said frame as the latter is acl-- vanced and said mine car extends partially beyond the forward end of said mine track.

Signed at New York, in the county and Starte of New York, this 31st day of July, y l 

